IQNA

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Walter Wobman, a national councilor and member of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), seeks to prevent distribution of the Quran in Switzerland, claiming the Holy Book attacks the country’s culture.

He told the newspapers Ostschweiz am Sonntag and
Zentralschweiz am Sonntag: "It should not be possible to distribute books as
extreme as the Quran, which attack our culture and legal system.”

Another parliamentarian, Yannick Buttet, thinks it makes no
sense to ban distribution of the Quran. "The problem is not the book itself.
The problem is that some distribution is used by Daesh as a means to recruit,
and the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service knows this.”

In 2016, Germany banned the organization "Die wahre
Religion”, which was handing out Qurans in the street. Suspected of radicalizing
young Muslims, the organization is active in Switzerland, according to Le
Matin.

Yannick Buttet thinks it is important to exercise caution.
"Rather than ban distribution, it is important to target associations and
mosques active in recruitment”, he said.

Laurence Fehlmann Rielle (PS/SP) agrees: "In itself there is
nothing wrong with handing out Qurans. On the other hand, if we see that some
are using it as an opportunity to build an (extremist) network, then we need to
ban these organizations.”

National councilor Lisa Mazzone, from the Green party,
condemned the idea. "It is reckless to suggest something like this. It attacks
Switzerland’s religious freedom. Once more it is a move applied to a single
religion. We repeatedly stigmatize one part of the population, Muslims.” In
addition, she pointed out that there are laws against inciting violence which
will be bolstered from September 1 when the new Federal intelligence laws come
into force, following last year’s referendum.

Earlier in 2017, Tribune de Genève reported that some
parents in Geneva were upset by unauthorized Bible distribution outside a
school in Carouge.